Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent is Bob Turner (R), who was first elected to the House in 2011. Due to redistricting, Turner is instead running for U.S. Senate[2] Redistricting puts 11th district incumbent Yvette Clarke into the new 9th.

Fusion voting

New York is one of eight states that have "electoral fusion" -- which allows more than one political party to support a common candidate. This creates a situation where one candidate will appear multiple times on the same ballot, for the same position. Electoral fusion was once widespread across the United States, but is now commonly practiced only in New York.

Opponents of fusion voting argue that the process results in dealmarking to ensure that patronage is rampant.[4] Proponents maintain that fusion voting allows for minor parties to actually make a difference during the election, allowing voters the opportunity to vote for a minority party platform but still affect the general election result.[5]

Candidates appearing in the general election will be listed below with colored dots corresponding to any party they will represent on the ballot.

Democratic primary

Attorney Sylvia Kinard challenged incumbent Yvette Clarke in the June 26 Democratic primary. Kinard, who is also a minister, formerly worked as Senior Legislative Attorney for the New York City Council.[7] She was focused on addressing local concerns of unemployment and education. Kinard wanted to ensure government jobs weren't outsourced, and supported small businesses. She also said she would fight to bring more education arts funding to New York.[8]

President Barack Obama backed Clarke.[9] He said that Clarke has worked "to give a voice to the voiceless, whether it was improving educational opportunity for children, expanding access to healthcare for women in need, or helping small businesses expand and add new jobs."[10]

Impact of redistricting

Following the results of the 2010 Census, New York lost two congressional seats, bringing its total number of representatives down from 29 to 27. According to a report in the Washington Post political blog "The Fix," New York was one of the top 10 redistricting battles in the nation.[11]